Scottish Executive

Anti-Social Behaviour

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £0/15/15 million to be invested in tackling anti-social behaviour and other local initiatives, as referred to in Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2003-2006: What the money buys , will be allocated to Renfrewshire in each year and to what projects.

Ms Margaret Curran: The programmes to be supported under this package of funding are still being developed. Further announcements will be made shortly.

Care of Elderly People

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to increase the proportion of older people in Renfrewshire that are able to live independently by increasing home care opportunities since 1997.

Mr Frank McAveety: Councils’ expenditure on home care services is funded through the general local government settlement. We are hoping to conclude a local outcome agreement with Renfrewshire Council soon, to enable it to develop home care services further with specific resources from the increased local government settlement. Between 1997-98 and 2001-02, Renfrewshire Council’s net expenditure on home care services increased by 25% to £7.3 million.

  The following table shows the number of clients in receipt of care at home from 1997. The figures show an upward trend from 2000.

  Renfrewshire Home Care Clients

  


Year 
  

No. of Clients 
  

No. of Clients Over 65 
  



1997 
  

2,672 
  

2,397 
  



1998 
  

2,762 
  

2,448 
  



1999 
  

2,505 
  

1,960 
  



2000 
  

2,453 
  

1,982 
  



2001 
  

2,542 
  

2,044 
  



  Source: SEHDH1Homecarereturnform.

Care of Elderly People

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of older people in Renfrewshire received intensive home care in each year since 1996.

Malcolm Chisholm: The proportion of older people in Renfrewshire who receive intensive home care is shown in the following table:

  Proportion of Renfrewshire Clients in Receipt of Intensive Home Care

  


Year 
  

Clients aged 65+ Receiving an Intensive 
  Service1 Per 1,000 Population aged 65+ 
  



1998 
  

11.7 
  



1999 
  

11.6 
  



2000 
  

16.4 
  



2001 
  

17.9 
  



  Note:

  1. Intensive service defined as "more than 10 hours of home care per week".

Care of Elderly People

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what projections it has made of how many people will benefit from free personal care in Paisley North.

Mr Frank McAveety: Anyone assessed as needing and receiving personal care in their own home will benefit from the removal of the local authority powers to charge for these services. Similarly, any person assessed as needing personal care as part of a care home package who would otherwise fund themselves will receive a payment of £145 per week towards their fees. Exact levels of demand cannot be forecast as this depends on an individual's needs and choices.

  The Spending Review 2002 settlement reflects the Care Development Group's costing assumptions for free personal care. These assumptions estimated an increase in demand from unmet need and a shift from informal to formal care of approximately 12% building up over the first two years of the policy to 2004-05. Within that framework identification of individuals in need of care is a matter for local authorities. The Scottish Executive has provided the necessary resources.

Crime

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current clear-up rates for recorded crime are in (a) Scotland and (b) Renfrewshire.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in Table 6 of the Scottish Executive statistical bulletin Recorded Crime in Scotland 2001 , copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 20798).

Education

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which of the 62 New Community School projects are located in Renfrewshire.

Cathy Jamieson: Two of the New Community Schools pilot projects are located in Renfrewshire. One project covers Cochrane Castle Primary School, St David’s Primary School and West Johnstone Family Centre. The other covers St Andrew’s Academy, Castlehead High School, Craiglea Primary School, Ferguslie Primary School, Mossvale Primary School, St Fergus’ Primary School and St James’ Primary School.

Education

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the results of the three-year target-setting exercise for education authorities, Raising Standards – Setting Targets .

Nicol Stephen: The results of the three-year target-setting exercise are published today in Raising Standards -- Setting Targets: Setting targets in Scottish schools. National and Education Authority Information 2001.  Copies have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 25350). The publication is also available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/targets2001pdf.

Elderly People

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of older people in Renfrewshire has been living on low incomes in each year since 1996.

Ms Margaret Curran: The data source which the Executive uses to produce estimates of persons on low income in Scotland is the Department for Work and Pensions’ Households Below Average Income analysis. The sample size is not large enough to allow analysis below Scotland level.

Employment

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the unemployment rates have been in Renfrewshire in each year since 1997.

Iain Gray: The annual average residence-based claimant count unemployment rates for Renfrewshire, from 1997-2001 and the latest monthly data for October 2002, are shown in the following table:

  


Date 
  

Rate* 
  



1997 
  

6.4% 
  



1998 
  

6.0% 
  



1999 
  

5.4% 
  



2000 
  

4.6% 
  



2001 
  

4.1% 
  



October 2002 
  

4.0% 
  



  Note:

  *All the rates in the table will be subject to revisions in 2003. This is because they are dependent on information from mid-year population estimates and the Labour Force Survey. Revised mid-year population estimates will become available from analysis of the 2001 census and the Labour Force Survey will then be regrossed. This will give new estimates of economic activity.

European Union

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what bodies were formally consulted by the First Minister in the preparation of his report to be submitted to the Committee of the Regions for the Convention on the Future of Europe

Mr Jack McConnell: The Opinion "More democracy, transparency and efficiency in the European Union" was drafted by me for the Committee of the Regions in a personal capacity. The Scottish Executive has consulted extensively on Future of Europe issues to inform an official submission to be sent to the Convention later in the year.

European Union

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which meetings between it and European Union Commissioners have taken place in each of the last three years and what future meetings are planned.

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many official bi-lateral meetings between the Minister for Environment and Rural Development and EC Commissioner Franz Fischler there have been in the last six months and how many such meetings are scheduled for the future.

Mr Jim Wallace: On the meetings that have taken place in each of the last three years, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30601 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  Future meetings will be arranged as and when necessary.

European Union

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates it has met with European (a) Commissioners and (b) Commission officials since May 1999, and what topics were discussed at each meeting.

Mr Jim Wallace: Executive ministers and officials have held a wide range of meetings, formal and informal, with European Union Commissioners and Commission officials in each of the last three years. It is not our practice to disclose details of such meetings, which are numerous, not all recorded in detail, and are often in the context of sensitive and confidential negotiations.

European Union

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the likely effects on the competitiveness of shipyards in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK and the European Union of the fact that implementation of the regulations under EU IPPC Directive 96/61/EC on integrated pollution prevention and control is not due until 2007.

Allan Wilson: Implementation of the Directive is not expected to affect the competitiveness of shipyards in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK as arrangements in Scotland are essentially the same as in England and Wales.

  The Executive proposes to defer until 2007 the date when existing shipyards are required to apply for permits to carry out organotin coating activities. This is close to the final date for transferring existing installations allowed under the IPPC Directive. It is, therefore, very unlikely that any competitive disadvantage will result.

Firearms

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) reports have been received by each procurator fiscal of offences in which a firearm other than an air weapon was alleged to have been used and (b) convictions have been obtained following such reports in each sheriff court district in each of the last five years.

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) reports have been received by each procurator fiscal of offences in which an air firearm was alleged to have been used and (b) convictions have been obtained following such reports in each sheriff court district in each of the last five years.

Mrs Elish Angiolini: Table 1 provides information on the number of cases reported to procurators fiscal during the specified period that included charges under the Firearms Act 1968 and associated legislation. Table 2 provides information on the total number of such charges included in those cases. In the years 1999-2002 1,605 cases containing 2,818 charges under this legislation were reported to the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland (the statistics from one office, Kirkcaldy, are unavailable).

  It is not possible to extract information on the number of cases and charges for common law offences, such as murder, robbery, assault, that involved the use of a firearm. Information on the number of convictions for firearms offences is not available from Crown Office systems.

  It is not possible to differentiate between air weapons and non-air weapons. Although some of the firearms legislation does distinguish between the two types of weapon, in most no distinction is made.

  Table 1

  Cases Reported Which Include Charges Under Various Firearms Legislation, Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, S50(5) or Culpable and Reckless Discharge of Firearm

  


PFO 
  

Financial Year
1999-2000 
  

Financial Year
2000-01 
  

Financial Year
2001-02 
  

Grand Total 
  



Aberdeen 
  

 23 
  

 31 
  

 31 
  

 85 
  



Airdrie 
  

 15 
  

 11 
  

 10 
  

 36 
  



Alloa 
  

 5 
  

 3 
  

 17 
  

 25 
  



Arbroath 
  

 7 
  

 10 
  

 9 
  

 26 
  



Ayr 
  

 16 
  

 23 
  

 32 
  

 71 
  



Banff 
  

 8 
  

 7 
  

 1 
  

 16 
  



Campbeltown 
  

 6 
  

 1 
  

 1 
  

 8 
  



Cupar 
  

 3 
  

 7 
  

 6 
  

 16 
  



Dingwall 
  

 9 
  

 5 
  

 3 
  

 17 
  



Dornoch 
  

 2 
  

 2 
  

 5 
  

 9 
  



Dumbarton 
  

 14 
  

 12 
  

 14 
  

 40 
  



Dumfries 
  

 7 
  

 12 
  

 16 
  

 35 
  



Dundee 
  

 30 
  

 20 
  

 20 
  

 70 
  



Dunfermline 
  

 14 
  

 16 
  

 12 
  

 42 
  



Duns 
  

 1 
  
 

 4 
  

 5 
  



Edinburgh 
  

 44 
  

 54 
  

 41 
  

 139 
  



Elgin 
  

 10 
  

 14 
  

 9 
  

 33 
  



Falkirk 
  

 18 
  

 22 
  

 29 
  

 69 
  



Forfar 
  

 6 
  

 4 
  

 4 
  

 14 
  



Fort William 
  

 3 
  

 12 
  

 7 
  

 22 
  



Glasgow 
  

 81 
  

 92 
  

 94 
  

 267 
  



Greenock 
  

 6 
  

 11 
  

 13 
  

 30 
  



Haddington 
  

 9 
  

 4 
  

 5 
  

 18 
  



Hamilton 
  

 37 
  

 20 
  

 43 
  

 100 
  



Inverness 
  

 16 
  

 13 
  

 17 
  

 46 
  



Jedburgh 
  

 4 
  

 5 
  

 8 
  

 17 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

 20 
  

 21 
  

 34 
  

 75 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

 3 
  

 3 
  

 5 
  

 11 
  



Kirkwall 
  

 1 
  

 7 
  

 3 
  

 11 
  



Lanark 
  

 6 
  

 7 
  

 7 
  

 20 
  



Lerwick 
  

 3 
  

 5 
  

 1 
  

 9 
  



Linlithgow 
  

 6 
  

 12 
  

 14 
  

 32 
  



Lochmaddy 
  




 3 
  

 1 
  

 4 
  



Oban 
  

 7 
  

 3 
  

 2 
  

 12 
  



Peebles 
  




 1 
  

 1 
  

 2 
  



Perth 
  

 9 
  

 16 
  

 16 
  

 41 
  



Peterhead 
  

 9 
  

 4 
  

 5 
  

 18 
  



Portree 
  

 2 
  

 2 
  

 3 
  

 7 
  



Selkirk 
  

 6 
  

 4 
  

 4 
  

 14 
  



Stirling 
  

 10 
  

 18 
  

 16 
  

 44 
  



Stonehaven 
  

 3 
  

 5 
  

 2 
  

 10 
  



Stornoway 
  




 1 
  

 3 
  

 4 
  



Stranraer 
  

 5 
  

 6 
  

 6 
  

 17 
  



Tain 
  

 3 
  

 3 
  

 8 
  

 14 
  



Wick 
  

 3 
  
 

 1 
  

 4 
  



Total 
  

 490 
  

 532 
  

 583 
  

 1,605 
  



  Table 2

  Charges Reported: Total of All Three Financial Years (1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-02)

  


PFO 
  

Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 
  

Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 
  

Firearms (Amendment) Act 1994 
  

Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 
  

Firearms Act 1968 
  

Reckless Discharge of Firearm 
  

Grand Total 
  



Aberdeen 
  

 4 
  







 2 
  

 139 
  

 42 
  

 187 
  



Airdrie 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 52 
  

 3 
  

 56 
  



Alloa 
  



 
 
 

 39 
  

 8 
  

 47 
  



Arbroath 
  

 1 
  

 1 
  

 1 
  
 

 42 
  

 5 
  

 50 
  



Ayr 
  



 
 
 

 121 
  

 16 
  

 137 
  



Banff 
  



 
 
 

 20 
  

 4 
  

 24 
  



Campbeltown 
  

 1 
  
 
 

 2 
  

 5 
  

 1 
  

 9 
  



Cupar 
  



 
 
 

 25 
  

 5 
  

 30 
  



Dingwall 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 26 
  

 1 
  

 28 
  



Dornoch 
  



 
 
 

 19 
  
 

 19 
  



Dumbarton 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 62 
  

 4 
  

 67 
  



Dumfries 
  



 
 
 

 55 
  
 

 55 
  



Dundee 
  

 1 
  

 3 
  
 

 1 
  

 107 
  

 27 
  

 139 
  



Dunfermline 
  

 2 
  
 
 
 

 64 
  

 14 
  

 80 
  



Duns 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 9 
  

 5 
  

 15 
  



Edinburgh 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 164 
  

 25 
  

 190 
  



Elgin 
  



 
 
 

 41 
  

 16 
  

 57 
  



Falkirk 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 88 
  

 21 
  

 110 
  



Forfar 
  



 
 
 

 17 
  

 1 
  

 18 
  



Fort William 
  



 
 

 3 
  

 26 
  

 7 
  

 36 
  



Glasgow 
  

 3 
  

 1 
  
 
 

 426 
  

 52 
  

 482 
  



Greenock 
  

 1 
  

 1 
  
 
 

 48 
  

 9 
  

 59 
  



Haddington 
  



 
 
 

 30 
  

 2 
  

 32 
  



Hamilton 
  

 5 
  
 
 

 2 
  

 136 
  

 15 
  

 158 
  



Inverness 
  

 2 
  
 
 
 

 81 
  

 13 
  

 96 
  



Jedburgh 
  



 
 
 

 18 
  

 6 
  

 24 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

 3 
  
 
 
 

 161 
  

 9 
  

 173 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  



 
 
 

 16 
  
 

 16 
  



Kirkwall 
  



 
 

 2 
  

 15 
  

 3 
  

 20 
  



Lanark 
  

 2 
  
 
 
 

 33 
  
 

 35 
  



Lerwick 
  



 
 
 

 15 
  

 2 
  

 17 
  



Linlithgow 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 40 
  

 9 
  

 50 
  



Lochmaddy 
  



 
 

 2 
  

 8 
  
 

 10 
  



Oban 
  



 
 
 

 14 
  

 1 
  

 15 
  



Peebles 
  



 
 
 

 2 
  
 

 2 
  



Perth 
  

 2 
  
 
 

 1 
  

 49 
  

 4 
  

 56 
  



Peterhead 
  



 
 
 

 28 
  

 1 
  

 29 
  



Portree 
  



 
 
 

 13 
  
 

 13 
  



Selkirk 
  



 
 
 

 15 
  

 2 
  

 17 
  



Stirling 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 56 
  

 17 
  

 74 
  



Stonehaven 
  



 
 
 

 18 
  

 3 
  

 21 
  



Stornoway 
  



 
 
 

 7 
  
 

 7 
  



Stranraer 
  



 
 

 2 
  

 26 
  
 

 28 
  



Tain 
  

 1 
  
 
 
 

 15 
  

 6 
  

 22 
  



Wick 
  



 
 
 

 3 
  

 5 
  

 8 
  



Total 
  

 36 
  

 6 
  

 1 
  

 17 
  

 2,394 
  

 364 
  

 2,818

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about the extent to which the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea's (ICES) scientific advice takes into account the impact of those technical conservation measures adopted by the white fish sector in the last three years.

Ross Finnie: The ICES advice is based on scientific observation of the stocks and associated fishing activity. In so far as recent technical conservation measures have benefited particular stocks, that will be reflected implicitly in the assessments. However, it will not be possible to quantify the impact of the most recent Scottish measures until next year. In the meantime, ICES has explicitly recognised the potential of these measures in the mixed fishery for cod, haddock and whiting.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level and value of imports have been in each of the last 10 years of products from the North Sea industrial fishery and for what purpose such products are used.

Ross Finnie: The information requested is not held centrally.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any economic impact assessment has been conducted of various scenarios that may arise from the current fisheries negotiations in Europe and, if so, whether it will give details of each such assessment

Ross Finnie: We have assessed the possible socio-economic impacts of various outcomes from the December Fisheries Council. I am not prepared to disclose that advice.

Flooding

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11172 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 24 November 2000, how the £5.2 million for flood prevention measures has been distributed, broken down by local authority area and organisation, in each year from 2000 to 2004; how much of this money has been spent, and on what measures.

Allan Wilson: The additional funding of £5.2 million, announced in the answer given to question S1W-11172, is being used to strengthen arrangements for addressing flooding concerns in Scotland. To date, it has been used to support the extension of the Floodline flood warning service to Scotland (£2 million), enhanced ground data collection (£0.25 million) and further research into flooding, flood risk and climate change (£0.1 million). The resources for Floodline were provided to SEPA; the other items were procured directly by the Executive.

  The balance of the £5.2 million will be used to support further flood risk-related initiatives, in Scotland.

Flooding

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to amend the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 to enhance the possibility of grants to local authorities in times of emergency caused by flooding and to accelerate the statutory processes for the approval of flood prevention schemes.

Allan Wilson: The Executive is currently reviewing the statutory and administrative processes for confirmation of flood prevention schemes: this review will be completed shortly. An Ad Hoc Committee of Ministers is also reviewing flooding issues more generally. It is too early to say whether these reviews will identify the need for legislative change.

Flooding

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any consideration has been given to altering the eligibility criteria under the Bellwin formula.

Mr Andy Kerr: We keep the criteria under review in light of the incidents that result in claims for assistance with emergency costs.

Flooding

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to implement payments under the Bellwin scheme to assist with the aftermath of the recent flooding in Moray.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1F-2273 on 21 November 2002, which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/search.htm .

Health

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been introduced for the population of the Renfrewshire Council area to (a) ensure a reduction in (i) the proportion of women smoking during pregnancy, (ii) the percentage of low birth-weight babies, (iii) dental decay among five-year-olds and (b) increase the proportion of women breastfeeding and whether any such measures have led to measurable improvements in these indicators in the Renfrewshire Council area over the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has introduced national initiatives to bring about improvement in these indicators of child and maternal health. These are implemented at local level by NHS boards and local authorities.

  Diet and lifestyle when pregnant is a significant factor in birthweight and smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy accounts for up to 25% of low birth weight births. A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland states that NHS boards should provide health promotion and education and advice to women of reproductive age, and should actively engage with social inclusion partnership initiatives to ensure a proactive, joint approach to improving the health of disadvantaged women. Pregnant women who smoke are a priority group for smoking cessation services, funded through the Health Improvement Fund. The national demonstration project Starting Well is developing new and innovative ways to support children's health from pre-conception onwards.

  Under the auspices of the national Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland launched in 2000, we have supported free distribution of toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste to all children at the age of eight months, and targeted distribution of toothbrush and toothpaste at one- to three-year-olds in deprived areas. We have introduced incentives for dentists to provide preventive programmes to children, and to work in areas of deprivation. Responsibility for the provision of NHS dental services in an area rests with the relevant NHS board and Primary Care NHS Trust.

  The Executive funds the National Breastfeeding Adviser, supported by the Scottish Breastfeeding Group and the Health Education Board for Scotland to work with NHS boards to promote, support and sustain breastfeeding. Most NHS boards have now developed local strategies to support breastfeeding.

  Provisional figures indicate that there has been a small percentage decrease in the national proportion of women who smoke during pregnancy. In Renfrewshire figures have remained consistent over the last three years at 2% above the Scottish average. The proportion of low birthweight babies remains consistent at 2.6% of full-term deliveries and Renfrewshire is consistent with the national average. The proportion of women breastfeeding at birth and six to eight weeks later is slowly increasing. Renfrewshire currently is just under 5% below the national average. Figures on dental decay among children will not be available until 2003.

Justice

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many sheriffdoms the sheriff principal requires to be provided with a list of all outstanding cases awaiting the issue of a judgement by a sheriff.

Mr Jim Wallace: The practice of requiring these figures applies in every sheriffdom.

Learning Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31129 by Mr Frank McAveety on 11 November 2002, on what date the information on the appointment of local area co-ordinators will be made available on the learning disability review website.

Mr Frank McAveety: Partnership in Practice Agreements and supplementary information for most local authorities is now available on the learning disability review website, along with the Executive’s feedback to every area. Some local authorities have not yet provided electronic versions of their Partnership in Practice Agreements, but they will be published on the website as soon as they are available.

Learning Disabilities

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31157 by Mr Frank McAveety on 12 November 2002, whether it intends to hold discussions with the Scottish Care Commission on the commission’s role with regard to group home provision for people with a learning difficulty.

Mr Frank McAveety: We are aware of continuing concerns over the appropriate registration of group home provision. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31157. I understand that the Care Commission is in dialogue with the interested parties and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Executive to meet the commission at this time. I shall, however, watch progress on this matter with interest.

Maritime Issues

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from harbour authorities, shipyards and other maritime agencies or businesses regarding the regulations under Directive 96/61/EC on integrated pollution prevention and control.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive (and the former Scottish Office) received no responses from harbour authorities, shipyards or related industries to the consultation papers issued prior to implementing the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (96/61/EC) through the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (PPC).

  The Executive consulted in June 2002 on proposals to amend the PPC Regulations to defer the period during which existing (but not new or substantially changed) installations are required to apply for a PPC permit to carry out organotin coating activities. The proposed amendment is supported by most parts of the shipbuilding and ship repair industry. The Executive received eight responses to this consultation from ports and harbour authorities, shipyard operators and associated trade organisations. Seven were supportive. One wanted the proposed delay to apply to substantially changed installations, an option which is not possible under the IPPC Directive.

Maritime Issues

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost to shipyards of compliance with regulations under Directive 96/61/EC on integrated pollution prevention and control.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive published a Regulatory and Environmental Impact Assessment (REIA) prior to making the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (PPC) to implement the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (96/61/EC). The REIA considered the costs to industrial sectors from complying with the Directive, and included an assessment of the effect on small businesses. It identified potential costs ranging from a few hundred to several thousand pounds per installation across all sectors. Offsetting benefits were also identified. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) application charge for shipyards transferring to the new PPC regime is currently £3,743. It is proposed to increase this to £7,400 during 2003 to allow SEPA to recover its regulatory costs. The cost to yards of preparing a PPC application is estimated to be approximately £23,000. The additional capital cost of complying with PPC will be site specific.

  The Executive proposes to amend the PPC Regulations by delaying the period when existing shipyards are required to apply for a PPC permit for carrying out organotin coating activities. The proposed amendment will result in substantial savings for existing shipyards.

Ministerial Meetings

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many bi-lateral meetings between the Minister for Environment and Rural Development and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the last 12 months and how many are currently scheduled for the future.

Ross Finnie: I meet Mrs Beckett frequently, both at Council of Ministers’ meetings and at the regular monthly meeting which involve ministerial counterparts from the other Devolved Administrations. The Executive does not keep detailed records of each individual meeting.

Post Office

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that there is no adverse economic impact on post offices as a result of the re-distribution of assigned office payments.

Allan Wilson: Royal Mail Group plc, post offices and postal services are reserved matters. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including postal services.

Post Office

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what money it has received or allocated for the implementation of Your Guide  and how such money has been distributed.

Allan Wilson: The Executive received a £3.5 million consequential, based on the funding for the English-based pilot of Your Guide . This sum, as with all consequentials, went into the Scottish Block. As a substantial pilot of the Your Guide approach was being carried out in England and because we had access to its findings, no bid was made against the Scottish Block for funding to carry out a parallel exercise in Scotland.

  DTI Ministers’ announced, in the written answer given to parliamentary question number 2001/6136 in the House of Commons on 15 October, their decision, on value for money grounds, that Your Guide should not be rolled out nationally.

Public Private Partnerships

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been transferred from the public sector to the private sector as a direct result of private finance initiative and public private partnership (PPP) projects in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Exact data is not held centrally. However, we estimate that fewer than 10,000 staff have transferred in the 79 PPP deals signed so far in Scotland in the 10 years that PPP has been in existence. This represents under 2% of public sector employees in Scotland.

  The Protocol and Guidance Concerning Employment Issues announced earlier this month embodies current good practice on transferring employees in PPP deals and also eliminates the scope for a two tier work force in PPP deals. The protocol provides for information to be collected on the terms and conditions for transferred employees and also for those employees recruited to work on the contract after the transfer, including sub-contracted areas of work.

Scottish Executive Ministers

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28673 by Mr Jack McConnell on 24 September 2002, whether it will detail all the Deputy Minister for Justice’s diary engagements since 1 June 2002.

Mr Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-28963 on 19 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Scottish Executive Staff

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals its staff have made to the Civil Service Commissioners and what information it has on how many appeals were heard by the commissioners in each year since May 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: No appeals have been made by Scottish Executive staff to the Civil Service Commissioners in the period since May 1999.

Sexual Offences

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice’s letter to me of 7 November 2002 regarding preliminary investigations into the proposal for a new criminal offence of "grooming" to cover adult behaviour towards a child for the purpose of facilitating sexual contact, whether it will extend these preliminary enquiries to include the "grooming" of vulnerable adults.

Mr Jim Wallace: We are considering whether to strengthen the law in this area and in particular whether we need a specific offence of grooming. We will include other vulnerable groups in this consideration.

Victim Support

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the victim of a crime or, in the case of murder or culpable homicide, the victim’s family has a right to be advised of the launching of any appeal by the perpetrator of the offence.

Colin Boyd QC: In death cases, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has a system in place for informing next of kin of developments, including appeal proceedings. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service accepts that there is a need to ensure that victims of serious crimes are also kept advised of the progress of cases, including when an appeal is lodged. That is why the Victim Information and Advice Service (VIA) has been established as part of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. VIA will be operational in all Procurator Fiscal Service areas by the end of 2003.

Voluntary Sector

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the composition is of the re-established Scottish Compact Review Group and what organisations the group’s members represent.

Ms Margaret Curran: The composition of the Scottish Compact Review Group is as follows:

  


Jen Anderson 
  

Scottish Environment Link 
  



Stephanie Bow 
  

Scottish Executive Development Department (Secretariat) 
  



Joanne Crone 
  

Scottish Executive Development Department 
  



Shaun Eales 
  

Scottish Executive Health Department 
  



Lesley Greenaway 
  

Volunteer Development Scotland 
  



Douglas Greig 
  

Scottish Executive Environment & Rural Affairs Department 
  



Jon Harris 
  

COSLA 
  



Heather Koronka 
  

Communities Scotland 
  



Jim Lugton 
  

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (Secretariat) 
  



Stephen Maxwell 
  

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations 
  



Rami Ousta 
  

Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure in Scotland 
  



Maureen O'Neill 
  

Age Concern Scotland 
  



Iain Rennick 
  

Scottish Natural Heritage 
  



Sarah Smith/
Peter Willman 
  

Scottish Executive Education Department 
  



Frauke Sinclair 
  

Scottish Executive Social Research 
  



Margaret Totten 
  

Voluntary Sector Representative 
  



Jim White 
  

Fife Council for Voluntary Service

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Opening Ceremony

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Presiding Officer,  further to his answer to question S1W-30166 on 10 October 2002, what the latest position is with regard to arrangements for a ceremony to mark the opening of the new Holyrood building.

Sir David Steel: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body announced on 19 November that the migration to the new building at Holyrood will not take place as planned over the summer recess in 2003. It has been decided, therefore, that there is little point in continuing to develop proposals for a joint opening ceremony to mark both the start of the new parliamentary session and the opening of the new building.

  The steering group established to develop proposals has been stood down, and the internal appointment of an Opening Ceremonies Manager has been put on hold and we are not proceeding with the procurement of an External Events Co-ordinator.

  I can confirm that none of the £400,000 budget allocated for the opening ceremony has been spent. The actual cost of any opening ceremony to mark the new building at Holyrood will depend upon decisions taken by the next SPCB, but my expectation is that the cost will be very significantly lower than the budgeted figure, as I indicated in my previous answer.